Current News

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today joined Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Administration Ed Markey (D-Mass.), alongside Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and small business owners in condemning the negative impact of President Trump’s chaotic tariff policies on small businesses. The Senators and small business owners called on the Supreme Court to uphold previous court decisions and strike down Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose reckless, global tariffs.

Vermont State Police The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has completed an autopsy on the individual whose body was recovered Oct. 7 in Wallingford. The autopsy confirmed the individual’s identity as Rodney Davis, 62, of Wallingford, and determined he died by suicide.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Ryan Upham, 27, formerly of Bethel and currently living in White River Junction, Vermont, was sentenced in the Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge brought against Upham was the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) during which Upham engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old child. The Court, Judge Elizabeth Mann presiding, sentenced the defendant to 18 months to five years to serve, all suspended with probation. 

Vermont Business Magazine Following two federal court rulings late last week confirming that federal SNAP (3SquaresVT) benefits cannot be withheld during a federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued new guidance to states regarding the release of partial federal SNAP benefits. The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) is reviewing this updated federal direction to understand how it applies in Vermont and to determine next steps for November 3SquaresVT benefits. In the meantime, Vermont remains committed to maintaining food access for individuals and families. As previously announced, the state-funded partial 3SquaresVT benefit will still be issued on Friday, November 7, 2025, for all households eligible for November 1 benefits. 

Vermont Business Magazine Staff and donors gathered Tuesday to mark completion of a renovation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health, allowing the team to provide a more private, welcoming and functional environment for the hundreds of infants and families it serves each year. The renovation, which represents the first significant update to the NICU since its construction in 1988, reorganized the unit’s existing space to better meet patient and staff needs. Key improvements include two new private rooms, one of which is a double patient room, offering a calmer, more healing environment for the sickest patients and a much-needed private space for families. 

Vermont Business Magazine Open Enrollment for Vermont’s health insurance marketplace began on November 1. During Open Enrollment, Vermonters can sign up for or change their qualified health and dental plans for 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2026, for those who sign up on or before December 15. Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2026. Enhanced premium subsidies from the federal government are set to expire at the end of 2025. These subsidies have helped reduce out-of-pocket costs for Vermonters purchasing health insurance through Vermont Health Connect. DVHA is aware that these subsidies continue to be part of the conversation related to the ongoing federal shutdown. In the event that these subsidies are extended, DVHA will immediately communicate with our members and update Vermont Health Connect to ensure that all Vermonters are paying the lowest possible premiums. 

Vermont Business Magazine More than 2000 students annually will receive vital support to prepare for college and careers, thanks to a renewed $31 million federal GEAR UP grant awarded to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). The U.S. Department of Education awarded the funding to VSAC to administer Vermont’s GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. This seven-year grant—spanning 2025 to 2032—will allow VSAC to serve over 2,200 middle and high school students in grades 7–12 and 200 first-year college students annually. The program focuses on first-generation and modest-income families, particularly in Vermont’s rural and underserved communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont (HHAV) is pleased to announce that Michael Redmond will serve as Interim Executive Director beginning November 17, 2025. Michael brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and homelessness services and advocacy, having most recently served as Executive Director of the Upper Valley Haven, a nonprofit providing shelter, food, and support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. Under his leadership, the Haven strengthened community partnerships and expanded shelter and supportive housing capacity across the region.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report focusing on energy affordability in Vermont has been released by the non-profit organization Energy Action Network (EAN). The report provides in depth analysis of the costs of different energy choices for Vermonters. Transportation is the 2nd largest average household expense, with only the cost of housing being higher. Within housing costs, heating is a major expense. Altogether, over $3 billion a year is spent on energy in Vermont, the largest share being the over $2 billion a year spent on fossil fuels for transportation and heating. Average household energy costs were over $7,000 in Vermont in 2024, primarily for fossil fuels like gasoline for transportation and fuel oil and propane for heating. The report also finds that there are often upfront cost barriers to Vermonters in accessing more efficient equipment, putting the technology that can deliver more durable affordability out of reach of the Vermonters who would benefit most, in the absence of grants and incentives.  

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, October 18th, local shoppers came together to make a big difference—raising $24,234 to help fight hunger in Vermont and New York. During the 15th annual Charity Sale, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel and its customers collectively contributed funds to benefit the Vermont Foodbank and the JCEO Plattsburgh Foodshelf. Throughout October, customers were encouraged to make a $10 donation to one of the two organizations in exchange for a custom canvas tote bag and exclusive access to Lenny’s storewide sale. Every dollar collected went directly to the nonprofits.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Thomas Ndissi, 38, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was arraigned today on one felony count of Luring a Child. The charge brought against Ndissi was the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), in collaboration with Hartford Police Department. Ndissi pleaded not guilty at the arraignment Tuesday in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Robert Katims presiding, ordered Ndissi to be held on $5,000 bond. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BETA), the South Burlington, Vermont, electric aerospace company, opened trading today on the New York Stock Exchange with an initial offering of just over 34 million shares of its Class A common stock. The initial price at $34 per share was over the initial proposed range ($27-$33) with a whopping $1.1 billion raised. From its prospectus, the initial market capitalization was expected to be $7.2 billion. By the end of today, at this rate, BETA's market cap will be about $7.5 billion.